Lost between Two

Family gathering

My grandmother had never stopped loving her lost child, and she had never stopped searching for him, even when all hope seemed lost.

I knew what I had to do next. I took out my phone and dialed Robert's number.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Robert, it's Carmen," I said. "I found something that I think you need to see."

"What is it?"

"It's a stack of pages that my grandmother wrote about you," I said. "She wrote about how much she loved you and missed you, and how she had tried to find you over the years."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. "I don't know if I'm ready to read that," Robert finally said.

"I understand," I said. "But I think it's important for you to know the truth. And besides, I think it might bring you some closure."

"I'll think about it," he said, his voice quiet.

A few days later, Robert called me back. "I'm ready to read those pages," he said.

We arranged to meet at my grandmother's house, and I handed him the stack of pages. As he read through them, I could see the emotions playing across his face - sadness, regret, but also a sense of understanding.

"I never knew," he said, his voice shaking. "I never knew how much she loved me, and how much she had tried to find me. I always thought she had just abandoned me."

"She never abandoned you," I said firmly. "She loved you more than anything in the world."

Robert nodded, tears streaming down his face. "I can see that now," he said. "And I'm grateful that I got the chance to meet you, and to learn more about my mother."

We spent the rest of the day going through my grandmother's things, talking about her life and the memories she had left behind. And as the sun began to set, I knew that my grandmother's legacy was secure. She had made mistakes, but she had also shown incredible strength and resilience in the face of adversity. She had loved deeply, and she had never given up on the people she cared about.

As I walked out of her house, I knew that I would always carry a piece of her with me - the courage to face the truth, the strength to keep going even when things seemed impossible, and the love to never give up on the people who mattered most. And as for my grandmother's lost child, he had finally been found. And in some small way, her story had finally come full circle.

As I left my grandmother's house, I felt a sense of closure. I had found the missing pages and brought her lost child home. But as I drove back to my own home, I realized that there was still one more person I needed to tell - my mother.

When I arrived home, I found my mother sitting in the living room, watching TV. "Mom, can we talk?" I asked, and she turned off the TV and gave me her full attention.

"I met someone today," I said, taking a deep breath. "His name is Robert, and he's your half-brother."

My mother's eyes widened in shock. "What? How is that possible?"

I explained everything to her, from the torn out pages of my grandmother's book to the café meeting with Robert. My mother listened intently, tears streaming down her face as I told her about the emotional conversation I had with Robert.

"I can't believe it," she said, still in shock. "I have a brother."

I nodded, a lump forming in my throat. "And he's a wonderful man. I think you'll really like him."

My mother wiped away her tears and smiled. "Thank you for telling me," she said. "I can't wait to meet him."

The next day, we arranged to meet Robert again, this time with my mother in tow. As soon as Robert saw her, he rushed over and enveloped her in a tight hug.

"I can't believe I'm finally meeting my sister," he said, tears in his eyes. "You look just like our mother."

My mother smiled through her own tears, and the three of us spent the day getting to know each other. It was strange to think that just a few days ago, we didn't even know Robert existed. But now, he was a part of our family.

As the day went on, I couldn't help but notice the way Glad was looking at me. He seemed a bit distant, and I wondered if he was still processing everything that had happened. Finally, when we were alone, he spoke up.

"I'm happy for you, Carmen," he said, his voice soft. "But I have to admit, I'm a bit jealous."

"Jealous?" I asked, confused.

"Yeah," he said, looking away. "I mean, you found your lost family member. I've been searching for something my whole life, and I haven't found it yet."

I put my hand on his shoulder. "What are you searching for, Glad?" I asked gently.

He took a deep breath. "I'm searching for love," he said. "I've never been in a serious relationship, and sometimes it feels like I'm never going to find someone."

I looked at him, really looked at him for the first time since we met. And suddenly, I realized that I had been so caught up in my own family drama that I had missed something important - the fact that Glad had feelings for me.

"Glad," I said, my heart racing. "I had no idea. I...I don't know what to say."

He looked at me, his eyes filled with

Load failed

and fear. "I understand," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want to ruin our friendship or make things awkward between us. I just had to tell you how I feel."

I took a deep breath, trying to process everything that was happening. On one hand, I was still reeling from the revelation about my new family member. On the other hand, I was now faced with the possibility of starting a romantic relationship with my best friend.

"Glad," I said, taking his hand. "I don't want things to be awkward between us either. But I also don't want to ignore what you just told me. I need some time to think about this, okay?"

He nodded, looking relieved. "Of course," he said. "Take all the time you need."

As he left, I couldn't help but wonder what the future held for us. Would we remain just friends, or would we take a chance on something more? And how would this new development affect my relationship with my newfound brother and the rest of my family? Only time would tell, but for now, I needed to focus on figuring out my own feelings and how to navigate these new relationships in my life.